November 25, 2002
Virginia Baptists approve new
missions vision at annual meeting
___By Robert Dilday
___Virginia Religious Herald
___VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.--Virginia Baptists have authorized their leaders to implement a new missions vision for their state that they hope will equip them to minister in the challenging climate of the 21st century.
___Kingdom Advance, which has been in the development stage for much of this year, was overwhelmingly endorsed by 1,550 messengers attending the annual meeting of the Baptist General Association of Virginia Nov. 8-9 in Virginia Beach, Va.
___Messengers also approved a reduced budget of $15 million and elected as president Beth Fogg of Richmond, Va., whose father held the position in 1976.
___Kingdom Advance, which pervaded every aspect of the annual meeting's business and worship sessions, aims to step up Virginia Baptists' state, national and global missions involvement; aggressively identify and train leaders for BGAV congregations; and offer resources to churches in unprecedented ways.
___"Kingdom Advance is about all our churches and organizations coming together and making our small voices into one big voice to minister in Christ's name," said BGAV Executive Director John Upton, who has been a driving force in putting the missions vision at the forefront of the state association's agenda.
___Complications in enacting the new vision have been felt due to financial restrictions stemming from a stagnant economy, depleted reserves and the loss of some churches to a competing state convention. Reduced income led the BGAV to eliminate 11 staff positions as part of a restructuring.
___As in previous years, the 2003 budget offers churches a variety of giving tracks, as well as the option of crafting their own giving plan.
___The Virginia portion of the 2003 budget--which represents from 66 percent to 72 percent of the budget, depending on the giving track--was recast to reflect the new emphasis on Kingdom Advance's four focal areas.
___Unchanged were three of the tracks for world mission giving--World Mission 1, which funds ministries of the BGAV and the Southern Baptist Convention; World Mission 3, which funds ministries of the BGAV and Cooperative Baptist Fellowship; and the option churches have of creating their own giving plan.
___World Mission 2, which has been the choice of a majority of BGAV churches, was modified to support new Kingdom Advance mission initiatives. This track supports a combination of BGAV, SBC, CBF and other national and international ministries. Funds in this giving plan destined for the Southern Baptist Convention's International Mission Board, North American Mission Board and Annuity Board were reduced by 12.5 percent to provide financial support for the new endeavors.
___Beth Fogg, whose election as BGAV president was unopposed, is a member of Second Baptist Church in Richmond, Va. Her father, William Cumbie, who nominated her for president, is retired executive director of Mount Vernon Baptist Association, a fellowship of congregations in Northern Virginia's Washington suburbs. Cumbie was president of the BGAV in 1976.
___In an attempt to attract more laypeople to the meeting, this year's sessions were held on Friday and Saturday, probably for the first time in the BGAV's history. The BGAV program committee has been experimenting with different days for the meeting, which next year will be on Thursday and Friday.
___This year's meeting also was marked by an unusual Friday night concert sponsored by the BGAV. The Christian contemporary band FFH performed, drawing an estimated 2,000 people--many from the Virginia Beach area--to the Pavilion Convention Center.
___In addition, messengers sent care packages to the families of enlisted soldiers and sailors stationed at the area's numerous military installations, including the massive Norfolk Naval Base, home to the Atlantic fleet.
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